Troops recover ISWAP notebooks detailing roles, plans, weapons allocation

Following a devastating blow to Boko Haram terrorists in Borno, Nigerian troops have recovered notebooks from slain Islamic States of West African Province (ISWAP) fighters in Mallam Fatori, showing the group’s planning and organisation.

The documents list fighters mobilised for attacks, their roles, assigned weapons, and allocated ammunition.

According to security analyst and researcher Brant Philip in a social media post on Wednesday, similar practices have been observed in other Islamic State provinces, including Puntland in IS-Somal, indicating a structured approach to operations.

The notebooks are part of the evidence collected from areas where ISWAP has carried out attacks in northeastern Nigeria.

“Notebooks captured by Nigerian troops from slain ISWAP fighters in Mallam Fatori show the list of ISWAP militants mobilised for the attack, their roles, their weapons and their allocated ammunition,” he wrote.

“This level of organisation was also noted in Puntland in IS-Somal. The cardboard piece (first image) was discovered in an IS-Somal position; it shows the same thing and also includes the cameraman, who has allocated memory cards instead of ammunition.

“Islamic State provinces manage themselves like actual states (it’s in the name), they have their own police, military police, ministries and more, they’re not only an armed group, but they strive to become an alternate governing entity,” he revealed.

On Tuesday night, airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Air Component, under the joint task force of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), destroyed a terrorist location where more than 60 terrorists were killed in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.

The destruction of the location at Abirma, terrorist hideouts in the southern axis of the Lake Chad region of Borno State, followed a precision air interdiction mission conducted on 17 March 2026.

Also, Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday condemned the deadly explosions in Maiduguri, describing the killings as senseless and unjustifiable, urging all Nigerians to support the military against the recent setbacks.

Shettima spoke shortly after visiting the victims at UMTH Maiduguri. He expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of 25 victims and 146 people wounded.